Chapter 4My Useless Husband Fired Me Today

Mandy’s face cycled from a furious red to a pale, sickly gray. Her lips trembled, her finger pointing at me, but she couldn't find her voice. Thomas gently took her arm, looking at me with pleading eyes.

I looked right past them.

“Mr. Adler, let's get started.”

Mr. Adler nodded, opening his briefcase and pulling out two separate documents. One was a standard divorce petition. The other was a thick, bound folder.

“Mr. and Mrs. Crane,” Mr. Adler began, his voice flat, professional, and razor-sharp. “Let’s address the simplest matter first.”

He slid the divorce petition across the coffee table.

“This agreement stipulates that Mrs. Meredith Crane will waive all claims to marital assets and walk away with zero financial compensation. In exchange, Mr. Daniel Crane will waive his right to seek civil damages regarding her marital misconduct.”

“Like hell she will!” Mandy finally found her voice, slamming her palm onto the table. “This is extortion! The company belongs to Meredith! She built it! She is entitled to half of everything! If you think she’s leaving with nothing, you’re delusional, Daniel!”

I remained silent, simply gesturing for my lawyer to continue.

Mr. Adler adjusted his glasses and opened the thick folder, laying out a series of detailed bank statements and receipts.

“Mrs. Crane, I advise you to calm down. We are presenting this option as a courtesy to protect your daughter from far more severe consequences.”

He tapped a finger on the top statement.

“Last May, your daughter authorized a corporate wire of thirty-seven thousand dollars under the guise of 'international market research.' Our investigation shows this money was used to purchase a Patek Philippe watch. That watch is currently on Tim’s wrist.”

Mandy’s breathing hitched.

Mr. Adler turned the page.

“Last October, she withdrew fifty thousand dollars from the company’s cash reserves for 'client development.' That capital was used to secure a one-year lease on a luxury apartment at The Lumina on the west side. The sole tenant of that apartment is Tim.”

“And in January of this year, Tim was awarded a twenty-thousand-dollar 'outstanding performance bonus'—an amount that far exceeds standard company policy for his pay grade. This bonus was never approved by the board; it was unilaterally signed off by your daughter.”

With each point Mr. Adler read, the color drained further from Mandy’s face.

He then spread out a series of high-resolution photographs over the financial documents. They showed Tim driving a brand-new BMW, entering high-end private clubs, and flashing his luxury watch.

“And this is merely the tip of the iceberg,” Mr. Gallagher added, his voice cold. “Meredith Crane and Tim are facing serious exposure for using their corporate positions to misappropriate company funds. Under state law, this constitutes grand larceny and corporate embezzlement. Given the amounts involved, this carries a mandatory sentence of up to five to ten years in federal prison.”

“Ten years… in prison?” Thomas murmured, his knees buckling slightly as he sank into an armchair.

“So,” Mr. Adler summarized, “we are presenting you with two paths.”

“Option one: Mrs. Crane signs this settlement. We handle this quietly as a private marital dispute. Mr. Crane will not press charges or report the financial discrepancies to the authorities. Her losses will be strictly financial.”

He paused, letting his sharp gaze lock onto Mandy.

“Option two: you reject this agreement. Tomorrow morning, we file the divorce petition in court and submit a formal criminal complaint to the District Attorney's office. At that point, your daughter will be dealing with a highly public criminal prosecution, not just a divorce.”

“I’m sure the tech press will find the story of a promising female CEO embezzling company funds to finance her assistant's lifestyle quite fascinating.”

The living room fell into a suffocating silence. Only the sound of Mandy’s labored breathing filled the space.

She looked at the mountain of evidence on the table, then at my calm, unbothered face. The hostility in her eyes was finally replaced by a cold, quiet dread.

I picked up my cup of cold tea and took a slow sip.

“Mandy,” I said quietly, “do you still think I’m dreaming?”